


What Makes You Pretty

by SpringZephyr



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gentle Kissing, Men Crying, Other, Self-Esteem Issues, Solomon (Background), compliments, reassurance, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29903481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringZephyr/pseuds/SpringZephyr
Summary: Asmodeus is used to being complimented and praised, but not like this.
Relationships: Asmodeus/Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 51





	What Makes You Pretty

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based off the "Return My Glow" Devilgram, where Asmo asks for compliments and MC's only options are to compliment his appearance. Which isn't normally where I start if people ask me for praise, but it ties into this idea I have that Asmo isn't used to people talking about his personality or basically anything other than how he's the Avatar of Lust.
> 
> I'm not sure if it's possible to adequately explore what I wanted to in a fic that's only 2k words long, but I certainly tried.
> 
> There are a couple of things involving Solomon that are hinted at in the background, but they don't go anywhere. I just don't feel like removing them either.

“I'm bored. So bored.” Asmodeus stretched languidly across the couch, hoping the transfer student would take a hit after he dropped his feet on their lap. If not, he'd continue whining until they did, “I'm soooo bored. Please, entertain me.”

But Asmodeus's intuition, about the movie they were watching being less interesting than him, turned out to be correct. The human looked away from the screen immediately.

“Cute socks.”

“Of course they're cute. I make everything look good... Want me to take them off?”

They offered him a slow smile, which was their way of saying _nice try, Asmodeus, but no_. Spoilsport. Regardless of whether it was his pants or a simple pair of socks, they always declined his offers.

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

The human laughed when he winked, and it was a cute laugh, too. It was a shame that they always tried to hide it.

“What can I do to make you less bored?”

“You're so cute when you're serious,” Asmodeus replied.

Any of his brothers would've told him to shut up and called him annoying by now. With the sort of reputation he had, not many were willing to spend time with him the way the transfer student did. Most of the ones who'd tried had either done so with ulterior motives or lost interest within a week.

 _“Do you have any idea,”_ he remembered one succubus in particular growling, after an afternoon of looking through Asmo Shots, _“how frustrating it is when your rival and the person you love the most are the same person?”_

Of course he did.

The only thing that had stopped him from just dating _himself_ at times was thinking about how cruel would've been cruel not to share his beauty with the rest of the Devildom.

Solomon had been a weird sort of exception, although Asmodeus wasn't _quite_ sure he could call what they had a relationship, prior to the new human transfer student's arrival. It was a human thing, possibly.

“I can play a different movie.”

Humans did things like... this. They tried to make other people happy, not serving only themselves.

“I was complimenting you,” Asmodeus replied. He could be a little less selfish too – the movie wasn't something he was really into, but the human was enjoying it. “You're supposed to say 'thank you, Asmo' or 'you're the greatest, Asmo'.”

“You just want me to praise you,” the human accused.

It was obviously a joke, judging by the sound of their voice, but Asmodeus picked at the hem of his shirt and considered it seriously.

“We could do that.”

“Right now?”

He felt a twinge of guilt for distracting the human from their movie, but it was nothing worse than the pain he felt while sculpting his eyebrows into perfection or pushing back cuticles. “I wouldn't be bored anymore,” he promised. “We can do something you want to do afterwards.”

And he would try to sit through it better than he had this movie.

“Okay,” the human nodded, “but there are so many things to like about you, I'm not sure where to start.”

“That was a good one!” Asmodeus, giddy, clapped his hands in excitement. The human laughed at something, but he was _sure_ it had to do with something on the television screen. After all, he hadn't done anything particularly funny yet. “Continue, continue!”

The human paused only for a moment, considering which compliment they should give him first. “Well,” they started a bit slow at first also, picking up conviction as they went along, “I love your confidence, and the way you're always taking time out of your day to build other people up as well.”

Okay.

Not what Asmodeus had expected, but he could work with that. “Another one,” he insisted, brushing back his bangs so the human could get a better view of his beautiful eyes. Squirming was more something Mammon or Levi would do in this situation, but Asmodeus couldn't help himself, shifting his weight on the couch as he tried to imagine what they would compliment him on next. Maybe his fashion sense? His radiant, soft skin? Or his perfectly applied –

“I think it's sweet, how you take time out of your day to help your brothers.”

Feeling strangely neglected, despite the praise, Asmodeus frowned. His pouting face wasn't, in his opinion, the cutest expression he was capable of, but he'd gotten some mileage out of it in the past.

Although... normally, he'd be making this face on purpose.

“Is something wrong, Asmo?”

“Nothing's wrong,” he lied quickly. “Just thinking about what a shame it is that I can't listen to you talk all day, dear. Maybe next time we do this, I can record it on my phone and listen to it whenever we're apart, hm?”

“Is that really the only problem?”

“Have I lied to you before?”

Unable to think of a single instance, the human shook their head and sighed. “...Either way, I'd rather you didn't record me.”

“Shame,” Asmodeus replied. Solomon was the same way, so maybe it really as a human thing. “I could record a list of compliments I have for you instead?”

If they wouldn't compliment his appearance, maybe they would at least compliment his voice. He knew for a fact that he had a beautiful one.

No, they ignored him instead. Which wouldn't have normally been a problem, because they continued praising him, except –

“Demon or human” – the human looked him dead in the eye. This time, for sure, they'd give Asmodeus the type of compliment he was used to – “you're one of the kindest, most generous people I've ever known.”

“Generous?”

Shit.

He hadn't meant to sound so...

The human blinked, the only indication that he'd caught them by surprise. “Yes. You care about other people. Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, no, it's just...!” Asmodeus's nose wrinkled with frustration. Between that and all of the frowning he'd been doing recently, he was at risk of sketching the lines onto his face permanently. That wouldn't do – no, that wouldn't be cute at all, so with a sigh, he gave up frowning and tried to be honest, “It's just... Generous? Really? You make it sound like the only reason people approach something is because they _want_ something from me!”

Which was true, painfully true, and something Asmodeus thought he'd finally gotten past with this human. He didn't _think_ before spending money on lavish spa treatments for the two of them, or buying them scented candles, or filling their wardrobe with new, designer clothes. It was just something he did.

Realizing that the human had put more thought into his “generosity” than he had hurt. Honestly! He'd thought he'd finally found someone who wanted him for more than his body, and it turned out their mind had been on his credit card instead.

“Tell me I'm pretty!” Asmodeus continued. “Tell me you want me all to yourself, that you've never seen hair softer than mine, or...” He paused, but it wasn't like him to run out of words or to feel his throat close up, so the silence didn't last long. “Just be honest.”

He hated how choked, how thin and fragile, his voice sounded. The Avatar of Lust was supposed to break hearts, not the other way around.

For some reason, it just kept happening to him.

While he curled up on himself, trying to prevent the transfer student from seeing, they huddled closer. Patient and soft as it was, he didn't register their hand on his shoulder right away. But they pretended not to notice the gross, hiccuping sounds he was making, so at least he had that.

At some point, Asmodeus forced himself to look up, just to make sure they weren't recording this on their DDD. The hand that wasn't on his shoulder moved to rub his cheek instead, the pad of their thumb feeling so _intense_ as it brushed away tears.

“Asmodeus.” Their eyes, wide with concern, were looking directly into his his. “I _was_ being honest. I mean, I do think you're pretty, and I love your hair, too, but that's not why I love _you_... I guess you really weren't used to being complimented before I came here.”

“T-that's not true...!” Like a sulking child, Asmodeus pushed their hands away.

Immediately, he regretted it – but the human, who took that as a sign that he didn't want to be touched right now, kept their arms motionlessly at their sides. He already missed, dearly, the loss of chaste, intimate, _nonsexual_ physical contact.

“I'm the most beautiful demon in the entire Devildom,” Asmodeus continued. Again, words which normally came so naturally to Asmodeus threatened to get caught in his throat. “I'm a radiant jewel, a precious flower, and I get s-so many compliments – ”

Since the human wasn't going to touch him again, Asmodeus flung himself onto their lap instead. “You didn't mean it that way,” he muttered, burying his face in their shoulder, “did you?”

Jumping to conclusions was a rather unattractive thing to do also, now that he thought about it. Fortunately, the human didn't seem to mind.

He felt them shake their head, their chin ruffling his hair, more than he really saw it. “I've seen the little things you do for people, Asmo. You're not as selfish as people think.”

“I'm the Avatar of Lust, darling.” It was worth pointing out. “Narcissism and looking pretty and being selfish is kind of my thing?”

“And you are some of those things,” they admitted, moving the strands of hair they'd knocked loose back into place, “but you're also so much more than that. The little things you do for people don't receive enough appreciation.”

“But you do think I'm beautiful, right?”

“Of course I do. So much that I get self-conscious standing next to you – I think _'there's no way someone this perfect could actually be attracted to me'_ – ”

“You're beautiful too!” Asmodeus pointed out. “There are so many beautiful things about you, and I don't understand how you don't manage to see them?”

The rough patches on their hands were born from hard work. They didn't like the shape of their body, but Asmodeus loved it, because it was the only one like it. Bad teeth? Skin that was always either too dry or too oily? The transfer student could have four left arms, and Asmodeus would only be fascinated by their beautiful uniqueness.

They laughed, another thing Asmodeus loved about them. It was a nice laugh. Even when they thought it was too loud, or sounded too forced, Asmodeus wanted it stuck in his head like a favorite song.

“I feel the same way about you. Now, I recall you said we could do something I wanted to do afterwards?”

Asmodeus nodded.

“Then let me praise you some more,” the human declared. “I know I can't undo thousands of years of... whatever this is in a few minutes. Objectification or low self-esteem or whatever.”

“You know I love it when you play therapist,” Asmodeus replied, leaning into the feeling of their fingers against his scalp, “but I should really freshen up first. I'm not sure even I'm worthy of praise right now.”

Not even the great Asmo could make runny noses and puffy eyes look sexy. Well, except to maybe a very select group of people. And while the thought of the human looming over him and disheveling him further did perk up his spirit a bit, that was clearly not what they had in mind.

His chest fluttered as they pressed a kiss to his cheek, as if he didn't currently taste of salt and sadness. Their lips had a slight shininess, which had obviously come from him, when they pulled away. Unable to look anywhere else, Asmodeus stared, equal parts memorized and shocked, the trance he was in only breaking once the human spoke:

“You're still beautiful to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> I think my ending is a little weak, but I'm still practicing hurt/comfort and angst with a happy ending. I'm also still practicing my other writing style for OM - not sure if people prefer this or reader inserts yet.


End file.
